Surbiton dominate as Rupert Shipperley and Giselle Ansley shine

SURBITON'S Wales international Rupert Shipperley scored a double in his side’s 2-1 win at Reading which took them above their opponents into second place, and brought them a second success, on the Premier Division’s double header weekend. Shipperley said: “We’re starting to get the momentum and progressing in the right direction, leading up to the play-offs, after three defeats in February.”

On Saturday Surbiton won 5-1 at East Grinstead with Dave Beckett and Alan Forsyth, the Premier ’s leading scorer, both twice on target. On Saturday Reading beat Cannock 3-2, thanks to a penalty corner strike by Richard Mantell in the last action of the game.

Holcombe clinched the league title – in their first Premier season – with wins against Brooklands MU (3-1) and Beeston (4-1) to remain unbeaten while Wimbledon, last season’s champions, sealed the fourth play-off berth with victories over Hampstead & Westminster (1-0) and East Grinstead (2-1).

At the foot of the table Canterbury ‘s weekend double – 4-3 against Beeston and 3-2 over Brooklands MU – gave them hope of a late escape act and sent Cannock, who suffered two defeats to two points below them. East Grinstead and Beeston, who meet next weekend, could still be dragged into the relegation play-off place,

Surbiton women’s two wins over the weekend initially helped them overtake University of Birmingham with a 3-1 win against Clifton and then a 4-1 victory over Bowdon Hightown consolidated their lead in the Investec Premier Division and increased their points advantage over Canterbury to three with two games to play. Surbiton stretched their unbeaten league run to 38 games dating back to February 2014. Olivia Chilton and Great Britain international Giselle Ansley scored for them on both days with Sarah Page, Georgie Twigg and Jenna Woolven also on target. Canterbury’s 3-2 win against bottom team Buckingham also took them above the Students who drew 2-2 with East Grinstead.

The leading trio are already assured of play-off places while Holcombe and East Grinstead are vying for the fourth spot.

At the bottom Buckingham are eight points away from safety while Bowdon who lost twice, 2-1 to Holcombe and 4-1 to Surbiton, are in ninth place, four points behind Reading who lost 1-0 to Leicester.